# "Trump blames Biden's D.E.I. policy for air crash" (NY headline) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [January 30, 2025, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632 "2025-01-30T18:41:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/81 "2025-01-31T09:54:19Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > although you may later be asked to explain your actions If you’ve survived, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/82 "2025-01-31T10:41:57Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > NBC’s expert (Sully) said that jet liners are at about 300’ on approach to Reagan. Helicopter traffic is supposed to be at 200’ to avoid conflict with commercial traffic. It appears from video that the helo slammed into the the jet, which would indicate that they were out of their zone. Except that on descent to landing airplanes pass through 200’ altitude. This is likely a situation where either aircraft being at that location a half minute sooner or later would have resulted in a near-miss rather than a collision. This sort of speculation highlights why a real, thorough investigation is needed to determine exactly what happened. > [@Smapti](#): > > Trump has issued an executive order declaring that the crash is Obama’s fault. Cue purge of ATC than will result in even fewer controllers and shorter staffing at airports across the nation. Think I may stick with Amtrak for the next eight years (that’s how long it takes to fully train a new controller) > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > It’s not just that they’ll be checking for. From today’s presser: While there are disabilities that, to my mind, would rule out ATC as a profession I can not, for the life of me, figure out how _dwarfism_ would be a bar to being an effective controller. Unless you just hate anyone who isn’t an able-bodied Christian White cis het male. Oh, wait… > [@needscoffee](#): > > So I wonder if an ATC would have been able to see this, or if it all happened too fast to stop them, or what? Well, even IF ATC had seen this (and of course they have a different angle on and proximity to the accident point than either pilot) the guys in the control tower don’t have a button saying “take over flying” and a joystick, ultimately it’s the pilot(s) involved to avoid the collision. Even if ATC is shouting “DIVE!” or “CLIMB!” or “TURN!” it still takes the pilot acting on that. Arguably, if ATC _had_ been yelling that into the mike it might have alerted the pilot(s) and avoided an accident but in the end the pilots are responsible for the safe operation of their aircraft. Colliding into another aircraft (or anything else) is the antithesis of “safe operaton”. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/83 "2025-01-31T10:46:05Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > So, the bill that passed that increased jet travel was not the culprit? I’m still waiting for @shayna to come back… Is the volume of traffic on a freeway “responsible” for all accidents on that freeway? Or is it the actions of the drivers on that freeway? Traffic volume is a possible _contributing_ factor (after all, there have to be at least two aircraft in the airspace to have a mid-air collision) but there are lots of crowded airports and they’re crowded 24/7/365, we don’t have a constant rain of aluminum. Crowded skies alone are not responsible for this accident. > [@Sylvanz](#): > > They should not have their deceased loved ones used as political pawns Yeah, well, _that_ ship has sailed… ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/84 "2025-01-31T11:17:43Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Is the volume of traffic on a freeway “responsible” for all accidents on that freeway? Or is it the actions of the drivers on that freeway? > > Traffic volume is a possible _contributing_ factor (after all, there have to be at least two aircraft in the airspace to have a mid-air collision) but there are lots of crowded airports and they’re crowded 24/7/365, we don’t have a constant rain of aluminum. Crowded skies alone are not responsible for this accident. We also don’t know if traffic was exceptionally heavy at the time this collision occurred. > [@needscoffee](#): > > > [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > > > They’re on it: > > As has been predicted, I can no longer determine what is satire and what is real anymore. I gotta admit, as I read that headline and started reading the article, I didn’t realize it was satire until I noticed the Onion tag at top left. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/85 "2025-01-31T12:06:36Z")
I’m also looking for @Shayna to come back and (1) show us where people are pointing fingers at Trump for the accident (rather than his psychotic, cold-hearted response to it) and (2) explain how Biden is directly at fault for signing a bill that covered everything at the FAA and passed with overwhelming margins, which didn’t actually change something that caused this accident anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/86 "2025-01-31T12:51:13Z")
I have seen some people on Facebook blame DJT for firing the head of FAA, but this had nothing to do with it all. The people in the control tower do what they do no matter who happens to be in charge of the FAA. The FAA chief was fired because President Musk’s panties got in a twist over the FAA grounding his spaceship until the recent accident is investigated, causes identified, and solutions implemented. None of this had anything to do with the number of people in the tower. What a sane president would do is offer condolences and promise a thorough investigation. What a dipstick would do is run (ok, walk in his case) to a microphone and blame it on there not being 100% white Christian heterosexual males in the tower. Blaming it on Biden for signing a massive bill that had huge bipartisan support is beyond silly. It’s the old “this bill does not make everything 100% perfect so it shouldn’t have passed” nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/87 "2025-01-31T13:09:01Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Unless you just hate anyone who isn’t an able-bodied Christian White cis het male. Oh, wait… MAGA is working on a solution, a final one, to that problem. Let us pray that it’s one that takes two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/88 "2025-01-31T13:15:13Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > What a sane president would do… Hmmm, I think I see the problem. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/89 "2025-01-31T14:40:25Z")
> [@](#): > > The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it??? That is a direct quote from Trump. I assume that means the copter pilot was black and also that somehow Biden and Obama are responsible. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/90 "2025-01-31T16:26:19Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200 foot limit. That’s not really too complicated to understand, is it??? Of course it’s the Blackhawk’s fault. It says Black right there. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/91 "2025-01-31T16:30:10Z")
Tranraceism. Clearly the helicopter is Indian not Black and I’ll bet it identifies as an attack helicopter. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/92 "2025-01-31T16:46:18Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump has issued an executive order declaring that the crash is Obama’s fault. This makes no fucking sense at all, unsurprisingly. What does an EO accomplish? What is he ordering? It’s just a personal rant cloaked as an official document. I always hated flying into and out of (then) National Airport. Especially landing. That long low altitude approach over the river with buildings on each side was unnerving to me, as I tried not to think about how short that runway is. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/93 "2025-01-31T17:10:11Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > This makes no fucking sense at all, unsurprisingly. What does an EO accomplish? What is he ordering? It’s just a personal rant cloaked as an official document. it wasn’t an executive order. It was a “presidential memorandum”. Not the same thing. They have it on the White House’s web site to read: > **[Immediate Assessment of Aviation Safety – The White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/immediate-assessment-of-aviation-safety/)** > > MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION SUBJECT:       It’s **literally** a memo, not an order. Here is the Wikipedia article on presidential memoranda: > **[Presidential memorandum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_memorandum)** > > A presidential memorandum (from Latin memorare, 'to remember') is a type of directive issued by the president of the United States to manage and govern the actions, practices, and policies of the various departments and agencies found under the executive branch of the United States government. It has the force of law and is usually used to delegate tasks, direct specific government agencies to do something, or to start a regulatory process. There are three types of presidential memoranda: p So... ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/94 "2025-01-31T17:19:14Z")
I’ll give trump credit for not saying, “this would never have happened if I was President”. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/95 "2025-01-31T17:27:26Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > it wasn’t an executive order. It was a “presidential memorandum”. Not the same thing. Ah. I was going off of a previous post that said it was an EO. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/96 "2025-01-31T17:34:00Z")
I hold Trump responsible for the crash. 1. As Commander in Chief, he is responsible for all service members and their equipment. 2. As Head of the Executive Branch, he is responsible for administering civil aviation. Of course, responsibility for problem is separate than the cause of the problem, which should be investigated. But Trump is responsible for the crash. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/97 "2025-01-31T18:23:30Z")
Of course Trump is responsible. He is responsible for every fuckup that happens while he is president, isn’t he? I think DEI is widely misunderstood. It is not about hiring a _less_ qualified woman (gay, whatever) over a more qualified straight white male Protestant, but it is about hiring the _more_ qualified person over the less qualified straight white male Protestant. Trump has demonstrated richly what can happen if you ignore quality, in this case to hire sycophants. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/98 "2025-01-31T18:39:10Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > It is not about hiring a _less_ qualified woman (gay, whatever) over a more qualified straight white male Protestant, but it is about hiring the _more_ qualified person over the less qualified straight white male Protestant. According to ‘them’ a straight white male Protestant is always more qualified by definition. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/99 "2025-01-31T18:43:51Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I think DEI is widely misunderstood. It is not about hiring a _less_ qualified woman (gay, whatever) over a more qualified straight white male Yes, in theory. Anecdotal, but at my previous workplace, I was pressured into hiring a female who was _much_ less qualified than a male. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2025, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632/100 "2025-01-31T19:11:22Z")
_“President Truman had a no-nonsense approach to decision making. The sign, ‘The Buck Stops Here’ on his desk reflected his belief that he was ultimately responsible for the actions of his administration.”_ When Trump gives a televised address from the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, behind him you can see pictures of his (several) lovely family(ies). Midst those pictures sits a brass placard that reads, simply, “The Buck Stops With The Black Guy.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-blames-bidens-d-e-i-policy-for-air-crash-ny-headline/1013632.md?page=6)